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Tighten gun laws to protect young Ohioans

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I respond to the Feb. 9
Dispatch article “Death let itself in,” and the Feb. 11
Dispatch article “Girl, 13, charged in boy’s shooting.” The first article reported that
16-year-old Calvin Fluellen is accused of shooting and killing his friend, 14-year-old Terrico
Henry. The second story was about Lanazha Watson, a 13-year-old girl who is charged in the shooting
and injuring of 12-year-old Keyvel X. Coleman.

Both events occurred in the South Linden area where only one year ago, 15-year-old Kaewaun D.
Coleman also was gunned down.

In Ohio, homicide is the third-leading cause of death for youths, killing 450 youths between
2008 and 2010. Rising homicide rates coupled with the recent tragedies calls for an examination of
the laws allowing guns to fall in the hands of our young people.

Ohio’s lax gun laws do not require a minimum age for the possession of firearms, and does not
have a Child Access Prevention law, which penalizes individuals who allow youths to have
unsupervised access to guns.

Our laws do not require private sellers to obtain a background check on the purchaser of a
firearm or prior to the transfer of a firearm between private parties.

This is particularly frightening because it allows for guns to be easily purchased online from
private sellers that require no background checks.

As a community, we must urge our legislators to tighten Ohio’s gun laws that allow youths to
access guns.

If we want to reduce the gun violence that is destroying the lives of our youths and crippling
our communities, we must get the guns off the streets and out of the hands of our young people.